Every morning and evening women sprinkled water on the driveway entrances to their homes and then proceeded to create kolam designs that were larger and more complex than those made on ordinary days. Multiple kolams adorned many places, spilling out onto the main road. In some places, the women bravely made large kolams in the middle of the road, keeping a watchful eye out for traffic! No doubt it was probably considered auspicious for the procession chariot and devotees to travel over the kolam. In addition to the white rice flour designs, many were filled with colored powder. A few designs were specific to the festival. As part of the festivities, it would be common to visit each other’s homes, admiring the kolams as you entered. It amazes me that such care goes into this traditional art form, full aware of its transient nature. It certainly gave me a chance to have something beautiful to look at when going for a walk!
1 comment:
I am so intrigued by these. They recall chalk artwork on sidewalks, very frequent in Paris and other major cities.
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